While it always helps to start by taking better photos with your smartphone, should you end up with a subpar image you're not out of luck. Here's how to make it look like your photo came from a nicer camera.

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In the video above we've got a regular photo of a DIY IKEA iPad stand from IKEA Hacker. The iPad stand isn't centered, the colors are a little dull, and—for multiple reasons—the iPad stand could be much more prominently featured. I figured I could make the photo look a bit nicer so I did, and this video takes a look at how to do that. The techniques described aren't just for iPads on tables, though. You can use them for pretty much any photo to quickly make them look like they came out of a better camera than, say, your smartphone's.

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Each enhancement is pretty simple on its own, but there are quite a few of them that make up the process in the video above. They're much easier to learn by watching, so check out the video above if you want to see the whole process. So you know what you're in for, here's an overview of what the video covers:

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Create a more shallow depth of field to make the subject of the photo pop.

Enhance the color of the photo with the gradient tool and blending modes.

Add a spotlight with the gradient tool.

Remove unwanted parts of the photo with the clone stamp, healing brush, or content-aware fill feature (new to Photoshop CS5).

Got any great enhancement tips of your own? Let's hear 'em in the comments.

You can contact Adam Dachis, the author of this post, at adachis@lifehacker.com. You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook.